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Parents' Guide to

Green Lantern

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Entertaining but superficial superhero thriller.

Movie PG-13 2011 105 minutes
Green Lantern Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 12+

Based on 26 parent reviews

Tony F.
Tony F. Parent of 11-year-old
March 22, 2023
age 11+

Decent movie

Good movie but has some violence and swearing.
gogo108
gogo108 Adult
August 7, 2021
age 10+

GREEN LANTERN

This movie is ok. The green lanterns mask looks kind of ridiculous, and the story is a lot like other movies. The movie does not, in my opinion have that much violence, compared to some other super hero movies like, Captain America. There is some sexy stuff and not much cursing. It is kind of what a lot of movies are like. The evil character looks kind of creepy, and some of the fight scenes are kind of intense. The effects in this movie in my opinion are very good. The last thing I have to say is that i feel like they kind of rushed the story to fit in 1 movie. In conclusion this movie is ok for 10/11.
See all 26 parent reviews

What's the Story?

A beloved member of the Green Lantern corps of intergalactic police has died, felled by a monster known as the Parallax that feeds off fear. The glowing ring that empowers him also hunts for his successor; surprisingly, it chooses Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds), a headstrong, impulsive, irresponsible, but talented pilot who's still plagued by the death of his father (also a flyer) in a fiery crash. Hal's not sure he's up for the job (though he's clearly tickled by the idea that he's a superhero). As former paramour/colleague Carol Ferris (Blake Lively) reminds him, he's more capable than he allows himself to be -- but can he face off with the Parallax, even if it means confronting a childhood friend (Peter Sarsgaard)?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (26 ):
Kids say (64 ):

Buoyant, irreverent, and not entirely satisfying, GREEN LANTERN is, as superhero movies go, heavy on the artillery (special effects) and light on profundity. Is it really that difficult to create a superhero with complexity (Spider-Man and Iron Man excepted)? It's not for lack of material; Hal Jordan, after all, has plenty of childhood trauma to mine. Although the movie acknowledges his torment, it spends much more time painting him as a bad-boy-with-a-heart enlivened by a ring that allows him to perform super-cool tricks. (As Hammond, Saarsgard does a better job at three-dimensionality but is also plagued by too much theatricality.)

The movie admittedly engaging at first -- wouldn't you be agog, too, if you discovered you had the ability to create anything simply from willpower and thought? But the conceit gets old quickly. Characters that could easily have lent Hal gravitas -- his nephew, his brothers -- disappear without a trace. Any nod to his shades of gray are quickly erased. This isn't to say that Reynolds fails; on the contrary, his easy charm appeals. But next time (if there is a next time), can his Jordan plumb more emotional depths?

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Hal is reluctant to step into his role. What holds him back? Is this a typical reaction of would-be superheroes in other movies?

  • Do the movie's special effects minimize the violence? How does the impact of this kind of violence compare to more realistically violent scenes?

Movie Details

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